Most recent public comments by Christopher;Chris Craven https://nowcomment.com/users/5837 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505949 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505949 I found this one statement extremely heart-breaking and indicative of the scale of racism that African Americans have endured throughout the years. Police brutality is illegal in all forms. There is no action that should lead to police brutality. So, instead of fixing the problem, blacks are scapegoated -- becoming the reason that police brutality happens; the honace is on African Americans to behave, rather than for police to hold themselves to the proper standards. This sentence actually reminds me a lot of how we discuss the issue of sexual assault. I will try not to generalize here, but: men are often uncomfortable when discussing their responsibility in sexual assault cases. And, what often happens, is the victim is blamed for the sexual assault. For example, "she shouldn't have been dressed so provocatively." These issues that Americans so often struggle with can only be changed through proper discussion. And, if we see the true victims as the "source" of the problem, nothing will ever change. Mon, 04 Apr 2016 22:59:36 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505944 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505944 I found this paragraph to be extremely eye-opening. From what Alexander is saying, it seems as though the policy was implemented before there was a problem, which basically created the problem, thus beginning the vicious cycle that is the War on Drugs. It pains me to think that the War on Drugs was started all based on racial pretenses. Today, hundreds of thousands of people are in jail for possession charges, that don't exist in a majority of other first world countries. On top of that, we spend billions of dollars a year on a prison system that is "protecting us" from non-violent criminals. Something here is very flawed. Tue, 12 Apr 2016 18:01:01 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505931 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505931 The reason media never touches incarceration rates is simple -- if society were to face the numbers and facts, we would all realize that slavery hasn't ended; it has just taken a new form. I think that's the reason that Alexander is writing this piece. She is trying to shed light on this problem that nearly every African American faces in his lifetime. Affirmative action portrayed in the media is a way to keep critics at bay. It acts as a camouflage for the real issues that blacks face and a way for the media to say that they cover racial problems. Mon, 04 Apr 2016 22:39:05 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505925 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505925 I always find it bothersome when people throw out the term "colorblind." Intrinsically, the word shows that race matters by acknowledging it. Plus, it is pretty clear that race is involved in almost every interaction that we have. Not to mention the fact that latinos and blacks are systematically neglected or relegated to the lowest tiers of society. And, basically daily, we hear of a new police brutality case involving a teenage African American. But, race is, somehow, no longer an issue? I don't buy it. Mon, 04 Apr 2016 22:30:52 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=485303 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=485303 I think that the Wire shows us that loyalty to the "game" is above all else. In Season 3, Bunk is trying to solve a murder that Omar has information on, but McNulty doesn't want to give Omar up because he knows he could be useful in the future. Avon kills Stringer because he had D'Angelo killed, but Stringer had just snitched on Avon because he needed to go to keep the business alive. In other words, we do see "family bonds" as reasons for certain killings and job postings, but more frequently, we witness the emphasis that all of the characters put on the game and its rules. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 12:54:33 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=485278 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=485278 After watching the Wire and finishing our readings, it is hard not to feel sympathetic for those that live in the inner-city environment. Not only is there an endless cycle of violence, but a cycle of drug use and poverty. This is why we rarely see people "escape" or break-through. The institutions feed off one another and we actually experience a "ratcheting" effect. In other words, the only way to stop the vicious cycle is to make real changes to institutional structures. Otherwise, the situation will continue to be perpetuated. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 12:49:07 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=485258 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=485258 Aside from McNulty, a majority of the white police officers are very untrusting of CIs and people on the street in general. Herc and the other white officer from the Western district are often more worried about doing street rips and taking down the corner boys than doing legitimate police work. Gascon seems to have a similar mentality. Because Washington was wrapped up in gang warfare, he is automatically bad -- lacking any redeeming quality. However, we see in the Wire that the most successful cops are those that work with the community -- Colvin, Carver, Bunk, McNulty. They see the humanity in those working on the streets. As they say, "it's all in the game. It's just business." Wed, 02 Mar 2016 12:44:39 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=485220 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=485220 This sentence reminds me a lot of the scene in Season 4 when Donut breaks into Pres' car because he locked his keys in his car. The nonchalance of Donut's actions are replicated in Darius' quick and cool reply. As Leap mentions, "hood intelligence" is not what we commonly consider intelligence -- in schooling. This form of intelligence is more "skills" based. One perfects a craft and is considered intelligent. We see it consistently in the characters of Bubbs, Omar, Donut, and Randy. They aren't book smart. They're street smart. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 12:32:04 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=485176 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=485176 Though we don't see the reactions of Michael, Randy and Duke, we do get a glimpse into the street life he left when, Donut drives by in the stolen Mercedes and smiles. Donut, although not entirely wrapped up in the game, represents the life that Namond left. Namond stares off in the distance, "contemplating" the life he gives up. But, there is no sign of regret from him or a sense of disdain from Donut. The bonds that they had before the street took over, might be stronger than their ties to the game. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 12:19:57 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=484973 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=484973 To me the distinction between corner and stoop kids is more nuanced. Corner kids were almost pre-destined to be corner kids. They come from unstable backgrounds -- drug use, abuse, and murder run rampant. So, while at the beginning of Season 4, Michael seems like he is more of a "stoop kid," we are not surprised when he turns -- getting into fights and finally, murder at the end of the Season. His mother is an addict, his father-figure is mostly absent and beats his mother. The only thing he knows is maleficent behavior. Whereas Randy has a more stable support group -- in his foster mother. He is the definition of a stoop kid. He is not part of the drug game and is extensively "good." The kids that Kozol describes here all have a rough background and will inevitably end up on the street. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 12:10:32 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=484967 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=484967 Though Kozol paints the "academies" in a rather negative light here, the description of these programs reminded me a lot of the corner classes that Colvin started at the middle school. The classes weren't geared toward "typical" education because Colvin realized that "normative" teaching would never reach the corner kids. They are street-smart -- they still have intelligence; it just needed to be interacted with in a different way. If these kids aren't going to learn algebra or language arts in a normal classroom setting, you might as well provide them with practical life-skills that will translate to a longer survival. Thu, 03 Mar 2016 15:52:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=484962 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=484962 We haven't explicitly discussed gentrification and its role intermingled with race and class. But, being from Miami, an extremely urban city that went through many of the same struggles that cities such as Baltimore, Chicago, New York and L.A., I have a first-hand account of the challenges that gentrification pose toward the poor and marginalized members of society. Many times, a group of wealthy, typically white, members of a city decide that the real-estate value of a certain sector of a city is worth more without African American and poor members of society. South Beach in Miami, for instance, was deserted in the 1970s because of drugs and the type of people living there. Today, South Beach is one of the world's most popular beaches because it was "cleaned out." Homes were lost. Jobs became more difficult to find. And, the people who once lived on the beach, are being pushed further and further into smaller and smaller neighborhoods in the heart of Miami. Gentrification simultaneously creates ghettos, while "sanitizing" other parts of the city. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 11:52:58 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=454889 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=454889 I really think this is the "mastery" behind Simon's writing. When we first meet Prez, we hate him. He shoots his gun accidentally, his past is haunting, and then, he blinds the black child. Of course, as the season progresses, our feelings change -- Prez is instrumental in helping the detail with the wiretap and codes. But, where I believe we really see Simon tugging at our "heart strings," is the first episode of Season 2. For the first time, we see Prez excited about policework and, unlike other officers, we see him disregard the promotions for good cases. Simon has created a second McNulty... Wed, 03 Feb 2016 11:04:00 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=454795 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=454795 While I agree that the two codes are different circumstantially, I believe that corporate code and "street" code are inherently the same. People who snitch in the business world, lose their job, while people on the streets die. But, if we boil down to it, what's the difference? On the streets, working in drugs, being "fired" is essentially being killed because there are no other opportunities for income Wed, 03 Feb 2016 10:49:00 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=454760 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=454760 Although we have not watched this season yet, I think it speaks to the corruption evident in the first season. In The Wire's pilot episode, a conversation between the narcotics detectives -- Carver and Haulk -- ends with a profound statement: "you can't call this a war. Wars end." This quote, in reference to the War on Drugs, is inherently evident in the scene described by Bowden -- even when drugs are decriminalized, and the murders and violence associated with them are gone, the war is not over because politicians have different motives. I also find this scene to be particularly, "ahead of its time," considering marijuana was only just decriminalized in Colorado a couple of years ago. And, just as in the Wire, violent crimes decreased, police are able to do "actual policework," and the community begins to thrive. We'll see how long it lasts... Wed, 03 Feb 2016 10:41:19 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=454702 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=454702 I found this sentence extremely ironic after reading this article and watching the first season of the Wire. Simon, in writing the Wire, wanted to uncover and demonstrate the corruption of bureaucracy in the inner-city. When McNulty wants to take down Barksdale, he is met with many obstacles, particularly once the detail begins to connect the drug money with politicians. However, throughout the first season, we see that personal motives, especially political ones, are advanced to keep Baltimore status quo. So, just as the accuracy of policework by the detail is scrutinized and ultimately, abandoned, Simon lets his political leanings and motives obscure the "truth." Wed, 03 Feb 2016 10:30:17 -0500